People's attitude to WLS

karinsky · August 31, 2005

I'm an OR nurse in a large Boston OR that also does bariatric surgery. I have been and OR nurse for 25 years and I have to tell you that I can probably count on two hand the amount of times someone died from general anesthesia. It is extremely rare unless you are a very sick individual. It is a myth perpetuated by TV,the movies and people's fears that "I won't wake up!" I have assisted tens of thousands of surgeries and am happy to be having general anesthesia for a lapband in the future. The biggest risks of surgery are not the anesthesia but the postop course which for a lap-band is very safe compared to gastric bypass which holds the bigger risks. Postop they have to watch for blood clots,pulmonary embolism and infection.

Chunk · August 31, 2005

I have to be honest and say that I decided to keep my surgery a secret. I did this because I didn't want to live my life as "the guy who had that surgery."

Jachut, I think you touched on something very true. I have recently come to realize that no matter how much thinner my body becomes, I am still a 300lb man. This isn't a bad thing, just reognition that I have "fixed" my body (medical) but not my mind (psychological).

I'llsucceed · August 31, 2005

I hope you have your DH read all of these comments & your post. Maybe he'll understand after he reads them. Maybe he won't - but at the very least you will have explained your feelings & I am sure he will support the wife he loves so dearly in the end. Best of luck to you both in having good support & communication.